Mega Man X: Chaos
by Renegade Vile
Summary: A group of terrorists calling themselves 'Black Cell' threaten to escalate the animosity between mankind and Reploids, which have reached a new high due to the events of the Asura incident. Vile and Nana take up arms after becoming embroiled in the battle, joining forces with old allies to stop this new foe. This fiction is the sequel to "Warmachine".
1. Foreword

**Mega Man X: Chaos**

_A Megaman X Fiction_

**Foreword**

_Greetings dear reader._

_Thank you for taking the time to click on this fiction, which is the sequel to a previous work I wrote for publishing on this website. I strongly advise you take a look at it, titled "Warmachine", before applying yourself to this story. However, in the next chapter, I will provide a short recap of the notable events of that fiction and what effect they had on the world at large. This will make reading the first part optional and only for those who are interested in its premise._

_Once more, the focus of the story rests on Vile and Nana. It picks up where Warmachine left off, though with a minor time skip to allow for certain pieces to fall into place. Unlike with the first fiction, there will be far more canon characters making appearances here and the reader will be able to look at the events from the point of view of others such as Zero, instead of being mostly tied to Vile or Nana. Expect more of the same in terms of the action and back-and-forth between the two protagonists, but expect something very different in terms of plot and villain._

_As always, I'm open to any form of feedback, be it criticism, praise or just general comments. As long as what you say is constructive, you can type in anything you feel is relevant; I will thank you for it all the same._

_For the readers who gave me such favorable reviews on my first story, welcome back and I hope you enjoy this story as much, if not more. For those who are new, I hope you enjoy this fiction and, please, review!_

_Renegade Vile_


	2. Glossary

**Glossary**

_I thought it would be useful for readers unfamiliar, or not so familiar, with the Mega Man X franchise to have this glossary as a reference and brief introduction. I may add certain elements later on, to explain plot devices I only introduced later on in the fiction from time to time, but this list should contain all the information you need to understand the canon storyline of Mega Man X, its premise and who the major players are. As always, this isn't a mandatory read, so feel free to skip it entirely if you know this information, or if you'd prefer to be taken fully by surprise (you can always come back to it as you come across terms)._

* * *

**Terms, Events and Locations**

**Reploid:** A Reploid is the next step in the evolution of robots and artificial intelligence. The Mega Man Classic series saw the introduction of sentient robots, though none could think or feel past what was programmed into their systems. Some, like Mega Man himself, could display eerily realistic human emotion, but it was still just the programming's response to a certain set of input. The creator of the first robots of this kind was . Near the end of his life, he created Mega Man X, who was based off the original. The X in the robot's name stood for the variable X, commonly used in mathematics, which implied the limitless potential of Mega Man X. This doesn't actually refer to his strength as a fighter, though considerable, but it refers to the limitless 'emotional' potential of the robot. X was made to think, feel and worry like any human and can learn to cope with these emotions much in the same way humans do. However, had to run significant tests to make sure it was safe to release X into the world. So, he sealed the first "Reploid" in a pod in his lab, letting his computers continue the intricate array of tests while the good doctor grew old and sick. A hundred years would pass before the pod was found by another man named , who studied Light's notes, the computer's results and X himself; creating the first Reploids with that data. While Reploids don't have quite the same independence as X, they still display far more humanoid emotions than the robots of old. Since their conception and their eventual semi-mass production, Reploids have lived side-by-side with humans for many years now, though not always peacefully...

**Maverick:** A Maverick is the term coined to describe a Reploid that has stepped outside the boundaries of its programming and has begun disobeying or harming those around it, especially its human creators. The causes of a Reploid going Maverick vary greatly. Sometimes it's a glitch, an error, a malfunction or even a virus. Whatever the case, however, Maverick is the catch-all term used.

**Maverick and Sigma Virus:** The Maverick Virus is a virus capable of forcing Reploids to go Maverick, resulting in a great deal of tension between humans and Reploids. Where this virus came from is still left largely unknown or the subject of great speculation (I am uncertain if Capcom's made any sense of it yet, but my facts may be a little off). After Sigma's first death, he fused himself with this virus to create the Sigma virus, which was a much more potent version which still terrorizes the Earth.

**Maverick Hunters:** The Maverick Hunters are an organization created with the sole purpose of gathering Reploid who are experts in all manner of fields, and using them to counter a Maverick threat. Throughout the many years since their conception, they've been a subject of debate. Especially since, in recent years, they've become a sort of guiding beacon to the people of Earth, perhaps stepping out of the bounds of their original directive in this way. They do not adhere to any single government and are, as such, above national and quite a few international laws, which could make them dangerous. Despite the controversy, most hunters fight a never-ending war against Maverick Reploids, capturing them for repairs or imprisonment, or simply destroying them if they are deemed a lost cause.

**Mechaniloid:** Mechaniloids are essentially what robots of old have devolved into. Replaced by the superior Reploids, robot technology and their basest AI are used in the construction of relatively mindless drones and self-sufficient machines that perform a variety of tasks for which a Reploid or a robot with advanced AI is overkill. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used in nearly every aspect of society, from construction to the military. Some are very small scouting drones sent into mines to search for valuable deposits, while others are massive machines able to lift many tons of materials with ease or tear through enemies without breaking a sweat.

**The Day of Sigma:** The Day of Sigma is the name given to the day when commander Sigma - long time commander and chief of the Maverick Hunters, as well as personal creation of , rose up in rebellion against mankind. He led a civil war that cost many lives, both human and Reploid. He was eventually stopped by Mega Man X, at the time only a B-class Maverick Hunter, but subsequently returned 7 times in continuous attempts to destroy mankind and built a world where only Reploids exist.

**Eurasia Incident:** The Eurasia Colony was one of the colonies created by mankind to seek out the stars. However, it soon became the instrument of Sigma's vengeance. He hired a Reploid named Dynamo to sabotage the colony, sending it on a collision course with Earth. Through X and Zero's best efforts, the colony was severely damaged, but they were unable to stop it from hitting Earth. Its reduced mass did help in avoiding a complete cataclysm, but the Earth was forever scarred. Millions of people died, the Sigma virus spread across the entire planet, infecting countless Reploids, and even now the Earth continues to wither away.

**Jakob Incident:** With the Earth slowly crumbling, mankind looked to outer space for their salvation. After the monumental task of creating the lunar base, work began on creating an elevator that would mankind up out of Earth's atmosphere and allow them to transfer, or teleport into outer space. However, the appearance of Vile, Sigma, and the betrayal of Lumine – the project manager – saw the destruction of the elevator and the entire Jakob project. Mankind continues to see space as their best hope, but their dreams have been halted for now.

**Giga City:** Giga City is a huge metropolis out on the ocean and the only place where a special kind of resource called 'Force Metal' is and can be mined. Force Metal greatly enhances the capabilities of any Reploid that installs it. Giga City became a battlefield when an experimental Reploid named Epsilon rebelled against the government. He was going to fire missiles fueled by Supra Force Metal (impossibly empowered Force Metal) all across the globe. His plans were stopped by X, Zero, Axl and the other fights they had met on Giga City. The battle was not over yet, as colonel Redips, a Maverick Hunter who gave X the mission to stop Epsilon, arrived at the helm of a Mechaniloid fleet; revealing himself to be a traitor who desired the Supra Force Metal for himself. Chief R, the Reploid who had helped X in his mission, was killed in the first wave of the attack. Redips proceeded to steal Supra Force Metal and threatened to succeed where Sigma had failed. In the end, however, he too fell to X, Zero and Axl and was killed in battle. Today, Giga City is slowly rebuilding and slowly starting to get back on its feet, but Redips' actions greatly damaged the Maverick Hunters' public image.

* * *

**Important Individuals**

**Mega Man X:** For a long time, Mega Man X didn't recall much, if anything, from his past or his creator. After being found by , he served as the blueprint for modern Reploids, though these have now deviated significantly from X' initial design. X wasn't immediately released as Cain allowed the machines to complete their analysis. Upon completion, he joined the Maverick Hunters as a B-Class hunter, though the reasons why he joined up or what he did prior to this event is unknown. He has become one of the world's greatest heroes and humanity's best hope for peace. Together with his best friend Zero, and more recently Axl, he has saved the Earth countless times from Sigma's insane plans. Despite his gentle heart and his reluctance to fight, he often does what needs to be done, while still valuing life above all else.

**Zero:** Zero is a mystery. He was found by Sigma as a raving Maverick in an abandoned mine, killing anyone or anything that dared approach him. Sigma was able to knock Zero unconscious, but not before being beaten to within an inch of his life. Recognizing the strength of the Reploid, as few had ever posed such a challenge for the commander, Zero was repaired by . Somehow, his Maverick tendencies just vanished. Zero became a Special A-class hunter and the best friend of X. He served in Sigma's elite team for a long time before becoming the commander of Unit 0. He has met his end twice and has been restored to functionality twice, each time heroically sacrificing his life to aid his friend in defeating Sigma. During the Eurasia Incident, Sigma had planned to use Zero, who had been the original vessel of the Maverick Virus (or so it seems), to create the true virus that would secure Sigma's dominance. Mixing the Sigma virus that was unleashed upon the colony's crash with Zero's body created the Zero Virus. However, it was stopped before it had a chance to spread. Even today, Zero still bares great anger over being used in such a way by the Reploid he hates the most.

**Axl:** Axl is the latest addition to the S-class hunters and a close friend of X and Zero. He helped stop Sigma's ambitions twice so far. Axl is unique in that, within him, rests one of the prototypes of the Copy Chip. A chip given to what is called 'New Generation Reploids', it allows them to copy the form of any humanoid shaped Reploid of Mechaniloid and take on their appearance and/or abilities. Axl had somehow bene recruited into a group of vigilantes that called themselves the 'Red Alert Syndicate'. However, after Red, the leader of the group, had taken a turn for the extreme, Axl decided to leave the Syndicate. In the end, Sigma had been behind it all, manipulating Red and the other Red Alert members into believing the Maverick Hunters to be unqualified to handle the Maverick threat, forcing their hand to the extreme. Axl had then been forced to kill Red, the very Reploid he saw as his father.

**Vile:** Not much is known of Vile's origins, but he has always been known to be borderline Maverick. Violent, aggressive, trigger happy and impulsive; he is everything a hunter shouldn't be. He always managed to track down and bring in his prey, but it was never a pretty sight, as he tended to use lethal force even when entirely unnecessary. He overstepped his bounds countless times and was eventually stripped of his rank and incarcerated a day before Sigma's uprising, awaiting trial. When Sigma rebelled, he freed Vile in the hopes the renegade war machine would help him and, for a while, the purple Reploid did. Vile had always hated X and fought the hunger on numerous occasions. After killing Zero, Vile attempted to dispatch X next, but was defeated as an unknown power awakened within X, and was destroyed. Vile reappeared several years later when a mad scientist called revived him with a new body in a manipulated attempt to purge the Earth of mankind. This time, Vile was defeated X and zero one more, but not before warning X that he would haunt the hunter until the day he died. During the Jakob Incident, Vile reappeared again, though it remained unclear how he had survived the previous encounter, or if he had somehow been rebuilt. Regardless, he kidnapped Lumine and attacked the three heroes many times before being defeated in a one-on-three battle inside Sigma's Lunar base. However, this time, he did survive.

**Sigma:** Sigma was once the commander of the Maverick Hunters and the most respected Reploid in operation. Now, however, he has become the most hated and despised individual in history. Eight times has he appeared with a plan to exterminate mankind and bring about a utopia for Reploids, but all 8 times he failed. His latest attempt seemed to have been his last, as Lumine had been behind the whole Jakob Incident and proclaimed, upon Sigma's eight death, that the Reploid had finally been put to rest permanently.

**Lumine:** Director of the Jakob project and a new generation Reploid, Lumine was kidnapped by Vile during the Jakob incident. Sigma revealed his plans to steal the moon from mankind and use if for his Reploid nation, leaving humans to rot on Earth. However, in the end it seemed that is had been Lumine all along who had been pulling the strings. He, and the entire line of new generation Reploids that had already been built, could go Maverick whenever they wished, simply because their copy chips contained the data of Sigma. To them, the term Maverick didn't really apply, they could simply do whatever they desired, whenever they wanted. They desired space for Reploids, not mankind, perhaps Sigma's mad ambitions leaking into them through the copy chip. Lumine was eventually beaten and killed by X, Zero and Axl, but not before shattering the glass gem on Axl's forehead (what this signifies has not been explained as Capcom has yet to realize they need to make Mega Man X9).

**Nana:** Nana was one of the Reploids that aided X in his mission on Giga City. Created on the island to serve as an operator, she has lived and worked there her entire life. She shares many of X' philosophies on peaceful relations between humans and Reploids, and desired nothing more but to see an end to the violence in the metropolis caused by Epsilon and Redips' wars. Her superior officer, both before and during the incident, Chief R, had also been like a father and mentor to her, causing her to be shaken to the core by his death at the hands of Redips' assault fleet. She is an expert operator and communications Reploid who proved to be an invaluable asset to X and his party. After the incident, she returned to work in Giga City, becoming one of the individuals most responsible for the city's speedy recovery.


	3. Warmachine Recap

**Warmachine Recap**

_***SPOILER ALERT***_

_For those of you who have not yet read my fiction 'Warmachine', which is the prequel to this story, and would be interested in doing so, please refrain from reading this recap section. A simple search on the site will yield the desired fiction. For those not interested in Vile's origins and who want to just delve into this fiction (or those who have already read Warmachine), feel free to use this section as clarification or something to refresh your memory with._

* * *

**Vile:** Vile has always been plagued by dreams and strange visions of a scientist, clearly deranged and panicking, speaking to an onlooker locked in a tube. The visions always end with the scientist being killed by invading Maverick Hunters and the subsequent destruction of the entire facility due to measures taken by the scientist prior to his death. After surviving the battle on Sigma's Lunar Base, Vile began to wander the Earth aimlessly, working as a mercenary to try and get the funds to repair the damage he had suffered. With the rise in popularity and success of the Maverick Hunters, the criminal elements for whom Vile worked began to lay low, decreasing the job opportunities the renegade had even more. With nothing else to do, Vile decided to investigate these visions, as they had become far more common and sometimes even painful after the events atop the Jakob elevator.

During his investigations he meets up with Nana and the two join forces, each for their own reasons, so they can benefit from the expertise of one another. Through a lot of hardship, and the help of some old friends, Vile is able to learn about the nature of the visions as well as his own origin.

Vile was created as part of the Vile Project, a project launched by Colonel Redips and then-Major Typhus in a bid to destroy the Maverick Hunters from the inside. They had several projects running, but it was the violent approach of the Vile Project that won their favor in the end. Their intent was to create a Reploid of incredible adaptability, capable of wielding any weapon, using any technique and learning both on the fly. With many weapon mounts and the ability to pick up just about anything and use it expertly, it would be a force to be reckoned with. However, this Reploid needed to have only one sole purpose, so as to make it truly infallible in this regard: combat. To that end, they set out a number of parameters that essentially limited the mental faculties of the Reploid to those of a Mechaniloid, making it little more than a glorified, yet very dangerous, drone. After mass-production, the two would have a force without ties to them to use to assassinate and destroy whomever they could not control within the organization that helped bind Reploidkind.

They required a suitable scientist, which they found in a Reploid scientist named Romanov. A fervent proponent of equality for Reploids and humans, he was an expert in the integration of thought, morality and emotion into Reploids. However, his talents in Reploid design of any kind were notable and for reasons still unclear, Romanov accepted the project. He soon realized that Redips and Typhus would use his creations solely as a gun to point and shoot, which was against everything the scientist believed in. Knowing full well it would spell his doom, Romanov attempted to introduce all the programming that made up a Reploid's mind and personality into one of the four V-models he had created. V-004 proceeded to go insane at the sudden influx and escaped, rampaging through Central City before finally being destroyed by the Repliforce. Romanov knew his time was short, that Redips would not tolerate treason or the possibility of his plans leaking out. Before hunters could knock down his door, he uploaded a barely modified version of the programs he had used on V-004 into the other three models, which included the Reploid who would later become known as Vile. He was then shot and killed by the hunters, the lab subsequently blown up.

Two of the three models were utterly destroyed in the explosion, but Vile's pod was found by a search party. Sigma, who was present at the time, was intrigued and sent him to for analysis, soon incorporating the war machine into the Maverick Hunters. The reason why Vile began to get the visions he did was rooted in the fact that the explosion had damaged a data packet and a personality program of Romanov that was supposed to explain all that had happened and impart the scientist's last wishes upon Vile's activation. The damage continued to compound over time, his mind trying to fix and undo what was going wrong. Vile's near insanity at times, as well as his violent rage and just plain overly passionate behavior is all attributed to the incomplete mind he had been given so late in development. The latest events on the Jakob elevator had forced the visions to the foreground and after nearly losing his life fighting against Typhus' ultimate weapon, Vile's mind finally restored the message Romanov had left for him.

In a mental conversation with the personality program, all was revealed to Vile. Romanov had wished for him to have a choice. He had realized that Vile had been created solely as a weapon of war. Each Reploid was designed for some specific purpose, but they still had liberty and choice in some form. Vile was never even supposed to have any of that. He was a drone given a mind. It was a desperate bid of Romanov to at least give Vile the will to make a choice, even though that choice remained limited to warfare. But at least he could fight for himself. Vile had squandered that gift up until that point, always fighting another's battles while reassuring himself that he shared those goals, even though he was just lying to himself.

After the battle in Central City was finished, Vile was allowed the chance to escape, because he had saved Central City from destruction at the risk of his own life. Even though the reasons why had been selfish as ever, there was no doubt that he had done so nonetheless. Soon after, he would ponder Romanov's words and return to the life of a mercenary, which he found suited him well. After several months, he was surprised to find himself contacted by Nana, who offered her services as his operator. Whether it was nostalgia or just because she had her uses, Vile accepted and the two became a sort of vigilante, with Nana managing to stem his anger at least somewhat and balancing him on the thin line between the legal and illegal jobs. Despite everything, Vile still suffers from a broken mind and is still very much a dangerous Maverick. But, now at least, he can fight for himself and what he believes in, however short this list may be.

**Nana:** Nana had continued to work in Giga City after Redips' defeat, hoping to bring the dream of Chief R's dream of a liberated and peaceful Giga City to fruition. However, during a routine checkup of a database, she discovered an outward data transfer from the engineering department. Unusual under normal circumstances, it was even more impossible during the events of Giga City. Furthermore, it had been sent to an external receiver. A short investigation quickly revealed there had been a traitor helping Redips bypass Giga City's security. Revealing this information to the Maverick Hunters resulted only in disbelief from the officer on the receiving end, a Reploid named colonel Typhus. Unwilling to let one of the murderers of Chief R get away with the deed, Nana was determined to get to the bottom of the incident. She left Giga City on her own, hoping to find the traitor's whereabouts and bring him to justice.

After meeting up with Vile, the two joined forces and Nana proved her worth by using her technological skills and talents as an operator to guide Vile through numerous battles. In the end, she learns of the identity of the traitor that had been aiding Redips and was now putting other plans into motion. After the smoke cleared, she was offered a position as an operator in the Maverick Hunters, but she declined the offer in favor of returning to Giga City and continuing the rebuilding efforts. However, after these were completed, she and Vile got into contact once more and she began working as his operator, hoping to catch further glimpses of a semblance of good in his heart. Perhaps she was just being naïve or stupidly optimistic, but she cannot break away from the renegade.

**Colonel Typhus:** Typhus' bid for power is a complex one. Years prior to the Asura incident, Typhus was a major under the direct supervision of colonel Redips, the commander of East Branch. Redips, after spending years watching humanity oppress Reploids, decided the only way to force Reploids to riot was to destroy the collaborators: the Maverick Hunters. He would do so from the inside, breaking the chain of command. He found an ally in the twisted mind of Typhus. Typhus, however, found that Redips was too incompetent to pull this off and disagreed with the man's plans for allowing mankind to serve as a slave race, reversing society. Typhus wanted to eradicate them all and, because Reploids were too weak-willed to make any decisions for themselves, he would also wipe their minds to the point where he was the only sentient being left on the planet. Reploids would live in a veritable utopia under his rule. But, he still wanted to see if Redips could succeed at least somewhat, so betrayal was not on his mind.

They explored all manner of avenues, but the first project that they truly found interesting was the Vile Project. Funding scientists to create the ultimate drone; they would mass-produce these into a private police force and use the weapons to enact their plans and start the revolution. Romanov, their chosen scientist, stepped out of his bounds, however, and attempted to insert personality into one of the V models, feeling compassion and love for his own creations. The V model went berserk in Central City, but was destroyed. Typhus managed to cover up the incident, but not before recovering anything that remained of that model behind Redips' back. Redips then decided to put their plans on hold after Romanov was killed and all evidence removed, wanting to let the heat decrease.

Their next real bid was Redips' plans to capture Supra Force Metal from Giga City. He had Typhus organize the theft of the experimental copy chip that would allow non-new generation Reploids to change shape. After choosing a good candidate for Redips, the only Reploid in their organization that seemed compatible with the prototype chip, to impersonate, they began their plans. The events of the Giga City incident proceeded, culminating in Redips' public betrayal and death. Again, Typhus was there to clean up the mess, making sure to keep any information on the copy chip and Force Metal for later use. From there, he began to exert his influence. Another was promoted to colonel of East Branch, which left a position in Central City open. Typhus was promoted to colonel there and over the time that followed, began to put his pawns in place until much of Central Branch Tower was under his control. Corrupt hunters, blackmailed innocents, it made little difference, he was set.

Typhus then proceeded to steal both of the Supra Force Metal fragments, one from the government, the other from an independent research facility. These fragments were all that remained of the Force Metal and he required it as a power source for his ultimate weapon. Once he learned of Vile and Nana's snooping, he began to use the independent presence of the hired Revenants, a mercenary unit, to harass and hopefully kill the two. After numerous failures, however, he found his tower and seat of power under attack from the furious renegade Vile and, eventually, he was found out by the Maverick Hunters themselves. Vile, the hunters and the Repliforce all began an all-out battle in Central City outskirts against his fortified tower and private Mechaniloid force. He hoped to hold them off while he unveiled his secrets.

Typhus had adapted the V-004 corpse he had had salvaged from the incident many years ago to fit the Supra Force Metal. This would power its weapons to unprecedented heights, its simple mind remaining unaffected by the corrupting power. Adding information from all the Reploids in the copy chip and stolen technology, he had created an incredibly powerful Reploid that proceeded to beat Vile within an inch of his life. However, he soon found his plans to mass-produce V-004 shattered when Vile turned the tables and destroyed it. No longer able to see a way to make his utopia a reality, he activated Asura, a truly enormous machine of war he had developed in secrecy. V-004 had only been meant to serve as its power source in the event of an emergency. He set the beast loose, ordering it to destroy everything and everyone, including himself. If he could not own the world, none could.

In the end, he did not even see Asura defeated, as Nana could not find it in her heart to bring him to due justice and lethally shot him through the chest, his body plummeting from the top floor of his tower to his death...

**The Revenants:** The Revenants were an elite force of infamous mercenary Mavericks known for their efficiency, deadliness and high pay checks. Experts at covering their tracks, no one really knew their identities and it was near impossible to track down where they had been over the years. However, much of their administration was still handled by external sources, which proved to be an invaluable lead for Vile and Nana. The groups consisted of four Reploids, each one deadly in their own right. Onslaught was the muscle and firepower, while Frostbite was the one with speed on his side. Morrigan had the unique ability to turn intangible, proving to be the greatest obstacle to a direct combatant like Vile. Last, but not least, was Spectrum, the leader of the group, who had been installed with an experimental Copy Chip that could supposedly be integrated into the systems of any old generation Reploid to give them the same shape shifting abilities as their new generation counterparts. However, it turned out this technology only worked on barely 1% of existing Reploids, which caused the prototype to be pushed to the back bench. Beyond this, Spectrum was also a saber-wielder capable of fighting toe-to-toe with the likes of Zero.

All four were confirmed casualties of the battles in Central City, though only the remains of Onslaught and Frostbite were found. Spectrum and Morrigan's remains were likely vaporized when Typhus' war machine destroyed a large portion of his tower.

**The Aftermath:** The battle against Asura had far-reaching consequences. Thousands of people, human and Reploid, had died and the truth of Typhus' betrayal was soon out. While Asura had been destroyed, it had damaged not only large portions of the city, but also the trust the Maverick Hunters had been able to build up. People and governments were afraid and soon, important and veteran officers of the Maverick Hunters were being replaced by puppets of politicians. Backboneless yes-men who proceeded to put ever more severe sanctions on any Mavericks and any hunter who did not do exactly as ordered. The Repliforce underwent similar changes, rumors even circulating that the Maverick Hunters would no longer be allowed to operate independently and be placed under the supervision of the internationally-run military force.

Tensions are on the rise between the humanity and Reploids and it has been shown many times throughout history that little is as damaging to society and peace as fear and misunderstanding...


	4. Prologue

_*A little atmosphere: watch?v=_zD4p_2gWpo (youtube)*_

**Prologue**

The harsh winds that whipped the dry soil had started to die down, but the dust and sand that clotted the air like a thick fog would obscure any traveler's vision for a while yet. The massive wasteland around South City, which had been destroyed when the Eurasia Colony crashed into the Earth, had proven to be an excellent location for a hidden base. Not only the city itself had been reduced to ruin, but the surrounding landscape had been turned into what could only be described as post-apocalyptic. Ash, sand and dust covered everything, not allowing plant- or wildlife to bloom in any significant shape or form. Forests had been uprooted by the shockwaves and any remains had long since vanished beneath rock and debris. Even the atmosphere above had been disturbed to the point where the climate had drastically been altered, letting scorching heat and dangerous storms descend upon what used to be miles of verdant green plains. As night had fallen, the heat slowly dissipated, being replaced by a chilling cold that seemed out of place in the environment that looked like the surface of Mars. The darkness, coupled with the fog that lingered, didn't allow for much in the way of visual feedback, but this natural camouflage worked as an advantage for some.

The base was meant as a hideout, a retreat when things went to hell. Built into the rocky sides of a ravine, it was nigh impossible to spot from the ground or air. A descent of over a hundred meters was required just to reach solid ground that didn't consist of unstable outcroppings along both sides of the ravine. The only part of the base that was remotely visible from above were the two manned turret towers that guarded the base from threats originating from above and below. The entrance had been hewn far enough into the face of the scaling rock wall that no angle was possible from the top of the ravine to get it into sight. As such, there was no telling how many guards were stationed down there, out of view. Because of its covert and remote nature, it didn't have all that much in the way of defense systems. About a dozen guards, at the most, those two turrets and perhaps a handful of Mechaniloid drones were all it could muster. It was meant to disappear into the background, not stand out by being protected by a legion of private Reploid forces. Its façade and interior would be unmarked, not yielding any answers as to its allegiance.

Two silhouettes had managed to descend down to nearly ground level from above, unseen and undetected as far as they could tell. Both dropped down onto the last outcropping, which gave them enough cover to serve as an excellent location from which to observe their target. Both were Reploids, Maverick Hunters even, and they were well known in the organization. They both belonged to Sigma's unit of crack hunters; the best of the best, but that didn't mean they could stand one another. They were ace hunters Zero and Vile.

One clad in a crimson and gold frame; Zero was an expert at using an arm-mounted energy weapon called a Buster. However, most Reploids possessed the ability to deactivate the weapon and hide it behind their hand until they required its use. Zero's own was an improved version was called the Z-Buster and it was feared by many. His red and white helmet allowed for his long, blond ponytail to descend along his back, adding to the visual aspects that made him stand out among his fellows. The other followed a very different style, both visually and in combat. Armed to the teeth, most of Vile's weapons were hidden within his purple and black frame. Less angular in shape than Zero's body, Vile's facial features were entirely hidden behind a menacing helmet. Despite the absence of eyes and mouth, he had an odd way of still being able to get expressions across through the lifeless T-shaped visor centered on the helmet. The only weapon that could be seen at a moment's glance was the deadly shoulder cannon that currently rested on his right shoulder pad; deactivated, and tilted slightly upwards to signify its non-lethal setting.

Zero and Vile were very different. The crimson hunter was methodical in his approach to hunting; following the rules to the letter but still being nigh zealous in tracking down his prey. He still fervently believed that Reploids who turned Maverick were not just a danger to humanity and themselves, but to all other Reploids, as well. Vile was another story. He reveled in destruction and mayhem, his raw firepower in battle and undeniable skill were the only reasons he had gotten away with breaking nearly every rule as long as he had. He had already been incarcerated numerous times for disobeying orders and breaking protocol. No one understood why he took such pleasure from causing collateral damage, sometimes even getting innocents killed and rarely giving his prey a chance to surrender or come with him alive and well.

Regardless, this mission was one they had both been sent on and commander Sigma had ordered them to stick to the plan. Zero already knew Vile had no such intentions, but there was very little he could do to stop the renegade.

"So Vargas is down there, is he?" Vile asked as he crouched behind one of the boulders that littered the outcropping, hiding his frame from the sight of any visual onlookers. From there, he lifted a set of binoculars to take in the base's front and its security detail.

"Yeah. He's been hiding there for a while now, so we can safely assume he's relaxed at least a bit. He probably knows we're coming, though. He's too high profile a Maverick to get away with what he's done and he knows it," Zero replied, following his comrade's example and hiding from the threats below.

Vile lowered the binoculars and handed them over to his right, not gracing the other with so much as a glance. "Two manned turrets up on the towers. They're not enclosed so they're easy to take out. I count six others patrolling the front or sitting in the guardhouse on the side. Why Sigma thought I needed your help for this, I'll never know," Vile scoffed at the end of his reasoning, already flexing his hands to loosen up and prepare for combat.

"Sigma gave strict orders to keep casualties and combat to a minimum. These are employees of an international company, they have nothing to do with the Maverick inside, they're just doing their jobs," Zero rebuked, his eyes narrowing angrily as he watched the front of the installation.

"Ha! You think they're going to ask questions first and shoot later? Besides, the way that place is set up, we're not going to be able to sneak in without taking down at least one of those guards. Where do you propose we hide him where he can't be found? I don't know if you looked around, but other than pavement and sand, there's not a lot in the way of dumping grounds," Vile explained and, while he had a point, Zero knew he was only making it so he got permission to unload on those Reploids.

"Then don't get carried away. Knock them out, disarm them, and arrest them. I don't want to see you blowing off heads like last time," Zero responded. He proceeded to put away the visual aid before turning to his fellow hunter, his stern expression stressing his words.

Vile merely waved a single hand at the other's orders, a cold chuckle contrasting Zero's deeper, passion-filled voice. "I'm not taking orders from you, Ponytail. You ready?" Vile questioned before suddenly rising up, his dash boots activating as the renegade prepared to propel himself down at his targets. "Because I sure am!" He added before boosting off, the propulsion force of his boots enough to launch him from the platform and have him clear the distance enough for him to land right in the middle of the small courtyard in front of the base.

"Vile! Get back here! Damn that idiot!" Zero cursed before activating his buster and vaulting over the boulder he had been using for cover. He wasn't quite so gung-ho, reckless and tactically inept as Vile, so he quickly took the calmer approach, using the distraction Vile was causing to dash towards the base from the ground and hopefully slip under the radar.

Vile, in the meantime, was already laying down the hurt on the security detachment. The instant he landed, crouched, on the paved courtyard, his shoulder cannon hummed to live and released a deadly sphere of light blue energy. His accuracy was as good as ever, as he immediately dispatched the guard closest to him, a young Reploid whose chest was lethally blown open by the impact. Alarms began to sound instantly, with the two gunners trying their hardest to turn their guns around to face the intruder in their midst. The other five guards dashed for cover, displaying more skill than one would expect for underpaid private security guards. They armed with energy rifles, whose rounds were certainly capable of punishing the likes of Vile and Zero. The purple hunter was a moving target, however, and his dash boots gave him a degree of freedom few Reploids had. Zigzagging from one side of the courtyard to the other, his shoulder cannon dispersed more shots, taking down another guardsman who had chosen a poor time to attempt to take a shot.

By that point, the turrets had turned around and were ready to lay down some rapid fire to support their allies. Before the leftmost could unleash a torrent of solid shells, however, a hand grabbed the guard who sat strapped into a seat to control the weapon. Too surprised to react, the guard was knocked out cold when Zero smashed his face into the turret's control panel. From that high vantage point, it was easy for Zero to bring his buster to bare and fire a single shot at the Reploid arming the other weapon. He preferred not to use lethal force on them, but side panels protected the gunner to the point where a lethal shot to the head was Zero's only option. He took it, ending the threat of the emplacements quite permanently.

Down below, Vile had noticed how Zero effortlessly took out the only real threat to them, so he knew his back was covered. Without delay, the renegade activated another of his weapons. His fingertips opened up to reveal the barrels of his Vulcan guns; weapons that fired a spray of bullets that, on their own, were low caliber and not very dangerous. However, in the true fashion of the loose cannon, he had ten of them, allowing him to dispense quite a lot of pain. One by one, the guards fell under the joined fire of Zero's buster and Vile's shoulder cannon, coupled with the spray of solid slugs. When the last one dropped to the floor, Zero had managed to non-lethally take down but two of the personnel.

"Blast it, Vile! I've just about had it with you!" Zero exclaimed as he walked up to the other hunter, who stood by the blast door that would grant them access to the facility.

"And I've had enough of your incessant whining. Let's just get this over with," Vile replied as he searched one of the nearby Reploid remains for what looked like a keycard into the base. Finding what he needed, a grunt escaped him as Zero gripped his shoulder, pulling him to his feet and forcing him to turn and face the crimson hunter.

"One more time and I'm putting in a request to have you dismissed from the hunters and incarcerated on the grounds of being a Maverick yourself, do I make myself clear?!" Zero stated, not wanting to head in there, knowing Vile might get them both killed.

Zero was reflected in the emotionless visor of Vile's helmet as the renegade stared back at Zero silently. It was all too obvious that the loose cannon was seething with anger at Zero's confrontational attitude, but he swallowed his pride and nodded slowly. "Fine, whatever. Let's go," Vile responded, his shoulder roughly shaking off Zero's hand. A single slip of the keycard allowed them access and the two entered the base's bowls.

* * *

While the shots being fired couldn't be heard all the way into the dark office, the visual feed from the many cameras throughout the small facility was on clear display. The feed was being shown on a single, large viewscreen, that was divided up into over a dozen smaller windows. The two hunters could be seen disposing of the forces outside before piercing the base itself and making their way through the hallways. A door opened behind the figure that sat in the comfortable armchair and the captain of the guard entered to salute and make his presence known.

"Sir. We were unable to invalidate the access cards of the guard outside in time to stop them from entering. They've also managed to bypass our lockdown. We've kept the lights off and emergency illumination on in the hopes of slowing their progress, but they'll be here soon," the Reploid explained, clearly shaking in his blue frame with yellow trimming. His employer wasn't known for having a bad temper, or for dispatching his own personnel; if anything, working for Vargas had been a rather good job. That is, until he was labeled a Maverick for his actions and was forced to hide in this remote base.

The other Reploid brought his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose, rubbing the synthetic flesh in frustration. "Hmm... How much of the personnel remains?" He questioned, his voice maintaining a serene edge, despite the deep, masculine tone of it.

"Four guards and four other members of staff," the guardsman responded, a set of blue synthetic eyes trying to focus on the armchair that hid in the darkness behind a technologically advanced desk that sported all manner of expensive toys and gadgets. Computers, both installed and handheld, littered the desktop, and piles of papers showed the frustration of the Reploid in searching for answers to his predicament.

"Leave two men in the shadows. Let the hunters pass. The rest of you get out while you still can," the figure ordered before straightening himself and getting up from the seat. The tall Reploid had excellent posture and turned to face his subordinate slightly, one white-gloved hand moving to rest atop the backrest of the chair.

"But, sir, they'll take you in. This is our job, allow us to-" The captain was swiftly interrupted by a decisive answer from his superior.

"That was an order, captain. Are you suggesting you are stupid enough to think you can stop those two when you saw what they did to your men outside? My only hope was to remain hidden. However, they found this place and they found me. I can either accept my fate, or keep fighting pointlessly. Now leave me," he replied, taking a few steps away from his desk to gaze at a framed photo of a massive, multi-storied complex that hung on the wall. The office only had the barebones of furniture, containing but a few chairs beyond the desk and armchair. It was clear that this place wasn't meant as a residence, but as a last ditch effort.

The captain nodded and turned around to leave the Reploid named Vargas alone.

* * *

As was expected, Zero and Vile didn't need a lot of time to breach the inner sanctum. With the door easily forced open by a shot of Vile's shoulder cannon, Zero took point and entered the dark office.

"Was there any need for that? The door was unlocked, you know?" Vargas inquired as he still stood by the frame on the wall. His Reploid frame wasn't that of one designed for battle. He was an elegant model whose impeccable sense of presentation was accentuated by his posture, regal golden and silver color palette, and the purple detailing that had been put into place here and there. His plating resembled a long, expensive coat that flowed into his frame when it reached his shoulders. It hung open, with a lack of buttons as it was more ornamental than anything else. A single, purple, diamond-shaped gem was embedded in his chest and the high, sharp collar of his coat hid some of his facial features from sight due to the sideways viewpoint the hunters had of him.

"Vargas, you have been declared a Maverick and are under arrest for corruption charges and aiding terroristic threats against humanity and Reploids. Please raise your hands and drop down on your knees so you can be taken in for revision and incarceration," Zero recounted sternly, stopping his approach in the center of the room. Vile remained a few steps behind, remaining silent for now.

It was then that Vargas chose to turn and face them, an angular face that matched his eloquent and refined speech with narrow eyes, neatly kept, black synthetic hair and a set of silver, circular modules covering his ears. His eyes had a dark brown hue, which matched a slightly tanned skin.

"You really believe all that junk you spew, don't you?" Vargas questioned, his hands still folded behind his back.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Vargas, hands in the air," Zero threatened, his raised buster not faltering.

This time, Vargas complied, raising his hands up into the air while he continued to speak. "I sold weapons and Mechaniloids to every army on the face of the planet. Every government wanted the advances my company crafted. But, when my policy of selling to everyone became a nuisance, I was suddenly labeled a Maverick. Do Reploid freedom fighters and other idealists not deserve a chance? They are silenced by mankind because they dare speak up against their absolute authority. So they are forced to pick up arms. I arm parts of the Repliforce and I'm hailed as a hero. I give the same deal to the freedom fighters, and I'm heralded a villain. What sense does that make, I ask you?"

"Those 'freedom fighters' used those weapons to instigate terrorist strikes that killed thousands of innocent people. They blew up a shopping center in Central City on a Saturday morning. It was filled with families," Zero replied, his eyes narrowing as he slowly approached the apparently defenseless Vargas. "I don't condone everything the government or Repliforce does; but I know for a fact they would never stand for something like that. You, on the other hand, let your greed justify everything. As long as you get paid and your company grows, you'll develop whatever you want and give it to anyone willing to pay up. Regardless of why the trigger will be pulled and who ends up in the crosshairs."

Vile started to grow bored at the conversation, but kept a close eye on Vargas, not trusting for a moment that someone faced with a lifelong prison sentence would remain so calm and composed. His attention was drawn behind him as he could have sworn he had heard something there. The situation smelled like a trap and he may have Zero distracted, but Vile wasn't going to go down by getting shot in the back.

"And tell me how many 'Mavericks' you've killed with that buster of yours? Reploids that had been driven into a corner because they had been labeled dangerous? Out of all of those, how many are you absolutely sure of deserved their fate, were actual Mavericks and not just Reploids who wanted to do something else in life. Not even necessarily something that would've been to the detriment of our lords and masters?" Vargas questioned, his tone of voice still eerily calm.

"Th-That's all just Maverick talk, Vargas. You can monologue all you want, all I hear is extremist nonsense from a man who wants to create chaos, sell arms and do it all under the guise of a revolution. You say all this so you can sleep at night. If you want to stand up for Reploid rights, follow the example of those who do so peacefully," Zero's patience was running thin and he wasn't about to repeat himself. He took another step forward, ready to force the Maverick on his knees.

"Just as I thought... Entirely indoctrinated and mindless. Still thinking change will come without effort and sacrifice," Vargas' train of thought was interrupted by an exclamation from Vile, who had remained quiet up until then.

"Zero! Behind us!" In a split second, the purple hunter had turned around to open fire at one of two guards that had tried to sneak up behind them, both wielding energy sabers capable of cutting a Reploid in half. The nearest one was killed instantly from the close-range shot, while the other was neutralized due to the rapid response from the crimson hunter, who had about-faced when he heard his dangerous ally's voice.

In that same moment, however, Vargas had attempted to make a run for his desk, his hand reaching into a drawer to undoubtedly grab a handgun and defend himself. He found himself unable to take aim as Zero returned his buster to focus squarely on the Reploid's chest. "Don't do it, Vargas. This can still be resolved without further bloodshed," Zero urged.

"Just shoot him, Ponytail, so we can get him out of here," Vile interjected, walking up to stand beside the other ace hunter.

Vargas' eyes shone in defiance, causing Zero to reiterate his plea, but it was to no avail. Believing his chances to be good enough, Vargas attempted to draw his handgun from the desk and take aim, instead finding a buster shot frying his hand, the weapon being knocked away. The Reploid fell back against his viewscreen, clutching his damaged right hand with teeth gritted in pain.

"You think you can take shots at us hunters, do you Maverick?" Vile questioned, angrily. "You're more trouble than you're worth. Why don't I do us all a favor and say you continued to resist arrest?" If Vile could, a vicious grin would've been on display as he spoke those words dripping with violence. His hand wrapped around his shoulder cannon, the arm guiding the weapon to fixate on the crippled Maverick.

"Vile, stop it, he's harmless now!" Zero stated, stepping in front of the renegade only to find himself shoved forcefully out of the way. That split second gave Vile all the time he needed to pull the trigger. The close range blast hit its mark, effortlessly destroying the target's right arm and taking out a chunk of his chest to boot. Vargas was pushed against the viewscreen, shattering the device as he slid down onto the ground, crying out in pain.

"Blast it, Vile! There was no need for that!" Zero exclaimed, about ready to punch the renegade hunter.

Vile approached the barely conscious, but living, frame of Vargas, who looked up at the t-shaped visor with intense hatred burning in his eyes. So many others had suffered similar fates at the hands of a Reploid who should have never received the rank and benefits he did. "Pff, calm down. He's alive isn't he? I'm breaking radio silence now," Vile commented, remaining utterly casual in his aggression. His hand reached up to cup the side of his helmet and open a communication channel to a hunter operator that had been monitoring their progress at the Maverick Hunter HQ.

"This is Vile."

"Y-You... Monster..." Vargas whispered, struggling to utter those words.

"One Maverick for transfer," without missing a beat, Vile's booted foot headed straight for Vargas' face. After this, there was only darkness.


	5. Chapter 1: The World of Tomorrow

_*A little atmosphere: ?v=nY3VnTRZ14k&list=PLCBrUTafYz3Z6scG7BCi6FFCD1oJAGnbP&index=22 (youtube)*_

**Chapter 1: The World of Tomorrow**

"Good morning and welcome back to CCN Daily News. After the initial hearings yesterday, Signas – commander of the Maverick Hunters – had confirmed with us during an interview that his position at the helm of the independent, law enforcement organization was secure. However, earlier today, a press conference was held during which commander Signas announced that he would be stepping down from the position. When asked what he was going to do, the highly decorated officer stated that he would accept the offer made by the Committee for Public Safety and Inter-Human and Reploid Relations and serve as colonel second class in the Central Branch of the Maverick Hunters. This sparks the latest in a string of replacements and reformations that have drastically altered the power structure of the independent organization. Later today, the Repliforce is holding a press conference as well to announce who will replace commander Signas and finalize the absorption of the organization into the military force. This will result in the severe limitation of the extra-judicial rights the organization enjoyed for decades. People across the world are rejoicing to see order being brought and commend the international leaders and the CPS-IRR committee on their work well done. In other news-," the broadcast showing a tall man in his mid-forties, strategically positioned in front of a computer generated background, was interrupted by a metal beam that crushed the small, portable television set that he been put precariously close to the works in progress.

"Ah, damn it. Now I gotta find another one of those," the gruff voice came from one of the many workers handling the cleanup of a site of great devastation. He and his comrade were lifting debris from a broken home but had underestimated the weight of what had looked like a small beam.

The site of the cleanup efforts was none other than the southern outskirts of Central City. Four months after the battle with colonel Typhus and his weapon of mass destruction, there was still more than enough work to be done. The outskirts had gotten the brunt of Asura's attacks, with entire blocks raised to the ground. Homes had been destroyed, some of which had been massive apartment complexes, and paved roads, cars and other common signs of civilization in the streets had been reduced to scrap. Most of what could be salvaged had been salvaged months ago, but the corpses of people who didn't make it out of Asura's warpath in time were still being discovered under heaps of destruction.

When Asura had finally been toppled, its enormous, skyscraper-sized corpse had collapsed onto the roads behind it, crushing even more property under its exploding weight. The beast had been destroyed on the inside, but it had still left its massive shell behind; a shell filled with dangerous technology that could fall prey to scavengers and other unsavory elements. Second only to searching for survivors, the rescue efforts' primary concern was the dismantling of the shell and piece-by-piece removal of the remains. It had taken everything Central city and surrounding countries could spare to get most of the beast removed from the streets, but the location of where its carcass had been located was still marked by all the damage its collapse had caused. With Asura largely removed, only scrap metal and broken homes remained, and the true rebuilding effort could begin.

Most of the available resources were first deployed in the inner city districts. Victims on the outskirts and anti-government spokesmen naturally proclaimed it was because the inner city was home to the richer citizens, meaning they would get first aid while the rest received the leftovers. Whether that was true or not, several massive skyscrapers had been brought down by Asura's long range weapons and stray shots, meaning the inner city streets were also lined with debris and traffic had been severely hampered. By now, most of the cleanup there had been completed and it was finally time to start on the outskirts and start planning the reconstruction of not just the neighborhoods, but also the Maverick Hunter Central Branch Command Tower that had been reduced to rubble in the wake of Typhus' rebellion.

"Be careful up there! There's no point getting injured during these works, because these people need all the constant help they can get!" It was the voice of one of the Maverick Hunter's greatest heroes that called up at the two workers that sat atop the mountain of debris that had once been a family's home. The blue-framed Reploid's green eyes fixed on the worker that had dropped the beam onto the television set, genuine concern framing his features. Mega Man X had never shied away from hard work to help the people he swore to protect, human or Reploid, and the kind tone in his light-hearted voice clearly reflected the honesty and virtue he represented.

Maverick Hunters were far from the most loved people in Central City, their relations with others not being much better anywhere else. However little respect they received from humans, due to the treason of Typhus, and from Reploids, due to them being the reason tensions between both classes were on the incline, Maverick Hunters had still been assigned to help in the reconstruction efforts. Their primary duty was protecting the workers and people in the rescue camps from the dangers damaged Mechaniloids and criminal elements posed there. However, some of them had also volunteered to actively help clean up the streets. Lord knows, the organization could certainly use the good PR.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mind your own business, hunter," the worker responded, rolling his eyes after his snarling reply had passed his lips.

The response drew a soft sigh from X, who promptly threw one of the broken chairs he had been hauling into a large dumpster near him.

"Do you ever get the feeling people hate your guts?" The young, energetic voice that uttered those words was filled with sarcasm. The origin of the voice was none other than Axl, the newest addition to the Maverick Hunter's inner circle of Special A-Class hunters. With a black frame, youthful appearance, long and messy brown hair, and a cross-shaped scar along his face; the young Reploid represented their best hope for the future. While not as skilled as X and Zero, he had more than earned his position and had gone through greater hardships in the last two battles against Sigma than most veteran hunters have in their entire careers. He too had gladly volunteered to help out with the cleanup effort alongside X whenever the trio had no dangerous hunts to attend to.

"I know… But I don't blame them. A lot of these people lost their homes and it shattered their trust in an organization that is sworn to protect them from harm. More than just the police or the military, Maverick Hunters protect the entire world from elements that would be all too happy to commit mass genocide for their ideals," X replied as he walked over to where Axl was sorting through a pile of debris. The veteran hunter crossed his arms and looked up at the bright blue sky overhead.

"First Sigma. Then Redips. And now Typhus; who was arguably the worst of the three simply because of what he had gotten away with in plain sight. Sigma's first rebellion had come out of nowhere, but many of his machinations didn't slip under the radar and only started when he rose up. Redips is much of the same, as his hands were forced into open action in the end. Typhus kept everything, even that monster Asura a secret from everybody. It makes you wonder who in the top brass was asleep or kept his eyes closed on purpose," X continued to muse.

Axl proceeded to pick up a piece of metal and threw it on one of the sorted piles before straightening himself and turning his attention to his friend. "That's still not a reason to throw us all on the same pile as those madmen. You, me and Zero have proven a lot of times that when it comes down to it, the Maverick Hunters are to be trusted and will pull through for them."

X smiled softly and nodded. "We know that. But a lot of that is based heavily on trust. And there's only so much people can take before paranoia takes a hold and they look at all of us with mistrust. You and me are getting the best treatment out of all. We just get the dirty looks. Just yesterday private Sunder was attacked on his way home by angry and frightened people."

"I still can't believe they forced Signas to step down. That means most high-ranking officers have been demoted and replaced by now. What's worse, we're going to be absorbed into the Repliforce… I don't know what to think about that. What'll that mean for us?" Axl questioned, not having had the chance to talk to X about these matters.

X could only shake his head. "I don't know, Axl. I think protocol will change and be enforced more strictly. Things might get less efficient to boot. The governments know this is the only way to avoid even more rioting and violence, and try and smoothen relations a bit. Get some more control on us. I'm sure they're scared too, scared of finding out Typhus wasn't the only one in the Maverick Hunters with the power and funds to create weapons like Asura."

Axl could only sigh, finding the whole ordeal more than just a simple letdown. The young hunter wasn't used to all the politics and backroom conniving that went into the upper echelon of the Maverick Hunters, Repliforce and all the other institutions. All he wanted to do was keep the innocent person in the street safe by hunting down those who would harm them. Almost like a superhero, like Steel Massimo! His mind then changed the subject for him, reminding the young Reploid of his crimson-framed friend. "Have you heard anything from Zero? He's been gone for over an hour now."

"No, he hasn't gotten back to me," X replied as he double checked his communicator to confirm.

"Do you think they're going to discharge him like they did Signas?" Axl questioned as he returned to sorting the trash and debris before him. His concern was more than evident in his voice. Working as a hunter wouldn't be the same if it wasn't the three of them. He always felt like he couldn't be beaten if he had X and Zero by his side.

"I certainly hope not. But given Zero's past, the current paranoia and the CPS-IRR's track record with reforming and demoting just about anyone who isn't proven to be loyal to the human governments… I'd be concerned too," X responded, looking over his shoulder at a small encampment in the distance.

* * *

The encampment had been set up to coordinate all the efforts in the surrounding neighborhoods and served as the primary source of information and direction for not just the rescue efforts, but the security and other important details of the entire operation there. It wasn't much to look at, as it consisted mostly of hastily erected, dull green tents filled with all manner of supplies or equipment. The camp had been organized on one of the many squares that used to burst with activity, but now solely witnessed the rushed back-and-forth of workers and other staff. One of those tents served an unusual purpose for that day only. The Committee for Public Safety and Inter-Human and Reploid Relations, or CPS-IRR, had commissioned it to allow it the privacy it needed to investigate and question some of the hunters and other Reploid officials working at that scene. The last to be subjected to the committee's inquiries was none other than ace hunter Zero.

The committee had been created shortly after the Asura Incident in response to the criticisms and fears of independent organizations and the domination of Reploids in the higher command structure of the Maverick Hunters. Tasked with investigating just about anyone and anything, they didn't consist of the humans with the purest of intentions. Rumors were afloat of loyal Reploids being demoted just to be replaced by humans who wanted to try their hands at a new post, or Reploids who gleefully accepted bribes in order to make sure the government's interests were served. As usual, the suffering of a great many individuals was a golden opportunity for some, unscrupulous individuals. Suffice to say, Signas was the latest in their decisions, but was certainly not going to be their last as they turn everything inside-out.

The crimson frame of Zero wasn't entirely unblemished. Here and there, the red or gold colors were covered by specks of dirt and the like, showing how he had helped Axl and X in the reconstruction efforts. He had been called away from work but an hour ago to appear before the six individuals sitting behind a foldable table on foldable chairs. Every single one of them was unknown to the veteran hunter, which instantly resulted in him losing respect for them. Six individuals who had never been out in the line of duty, or performed any service for the betterment of society were going to judge him and his past. They had not been witness of any of it, yet saw fit to draw their own conclusions as to what had happened and what the implications were.

"I believe we know, more or less, all we need to, unit commander Zero," the official that sat in the middle of them all spoke up. The human man was in his early fifties, with grey streaks lining his short black hair. Vibrant, blue eyes could be seen behind the glasses that rested atop his nose; eyes that hid the shrewd intelligence the man possessed. He was dressed with impeccable, business sense, clad in a black suit with a colorful tie. The other five were dressed in much the same way and they could've all passed for one big, happy, sneaky snake family if they wanted to. "Ah, but I see there is one more thing we need to go over. Your discovery many years ago."

Zero's eyes instantly narrowed, having been wondering what was taking them so long to get to the point. The crimson hunter was no fool and knew that the initial, rather casual and routine, questions he had been asked were just a means to try and get him to trust them and be at ease. But he had known those questions were coming. "Yes, sir."

"It appears former commander Sigma had found you in an old, abandoned mine. Your state of mind was questionable and it was clear that you fit the bill of a Maverick to a 't'… Back then," The man removed his glasses after having read what one of the reports before him outlined.

"The number of Reploids that recover from such behavior, even after reprogramming, is less than 10% and that is accounting for recent methods of rehabilitation," the woman to the former's right explained. "The report would have us believe you belong to that 10%, as after you recovered, stated that you exhibited no further aggressive tendencies beyond the normal parameters. You were subsequently placed into active duty and quickly climbed your way up into Sigma's elite unit," she continued before clasping her hands before her and leaning forward on the tabletop. "Tell us, unit commander Zero, do you believe it is a good idea to have former Mavericks, reformed or not, serve as such a vital component in an organization that should uphold the most stringent of control on its members?"

Zero quickly forced himself to swallow the anger billowing up from inside of him at the thinly veiled accusation of him retaining Maverick tendencies. He had spent his whole life, had even sacrificed himself, all to keep people like them safe from harm. "If extended service show the Reploid in question does indeed perform up to par and shows loyalty-" Zero was promptly cut off by the youngest of the six; the sole Reploid of the group.

"Ah, but loyalty is a matter of perspective. And not only that…" The purple-eyed, ebony and gold framed Reploid reached out for another report that had been resting conveniently by his side. Once he had opened the file, he continued his reasoning. "It says here that during the Eurasia Colony Incident, you were infected by the Sigma Virus. Subsequent research by the good doctor Lifesaver of the Maverick Hunters revealed that the virus had mutated into what was promptly named the Zero Virus. This mutation proved far more dangerous in that it seemed likely that it would also increase the potential of anyone it infects, not just forcing them to go Maverick alone. Had you not been stopped, the effects would have been unforeseeable, but certainly catastrophic at the very least. All's well that ends well, but Lifesaver still has been unable to properly discern the nature of your connection to both viruses and-," the Reploid's eyes cast up at Zero's, his brow furrowing slightly. "Whether or not you have truly been cleansed of its influences. So tell us again. Do you believe it is a good idea to have a reformed Maverick such as yourself serve in the Maverick Hunters?"

"I… That…" Zero had no answer for them. They had twisted it all to make it look like he had done all that on purpose, that he had worked in tandem to Sigma's diabolical mind. He had been a victim as much as anyone else and not a day passed that he hated himself for what had transpired and for having been used like nothing more than a techno-biological weapon.

"That will be all, unit commander Zero. You are dismissed and may return to your earlier duties," the man in the center stated after a long pause. All six of them promptly diverted their attention to their papers, most of them jotting down whatever notes they decided to keep and which statements in his defense to leave out entirely.

Zero's hands balled into fists as his gaze went from one committee member to the other, but there was nothing he could say or do at that point. How red tape could make the mightiest feel utterly helpless in the face of such accusations… He promptly saluted, trying to hide his frustration. "Yes sirs, ma'am."

Upon exiting the tent and making his way back over to where X and Axl were working, a heavy-duty container became the target of his frustration. With a loud bang, his fist bent the thick steel with ease. "Zero?! What happened?" X questioned as he ran up to his friend, only to be brushed aside by a wall of silence, as Zero turned around and began to walk down the shattered street, in the direction of the ruins of Central Branch Tower.

"Zero?!" Axl chimed in, trying to get a response from the veteran hunter, but they only received silence as their reply. "Do we… let him blow off some steam?" Axl suggested, his gaze turning up to the slightly taller X.

The other hunter merely nodded in response.

* * *

The facility had been abandoned for years now, with all its machinery shut down and succumbing to the passage of time. If anyone were to try and kickstart the sensitive equipment, chances were they weren't going to be very lucky in their endeavor. Facilities dedicated solely to the manufacturing of one specific type of Mechaniloid used to be all the rage over a decade ago, but with the advent of newer and better techniques and technology, the ability to save on space and use the same equipment to craft a wider range of drones made these facilities obsolete. Too expensive to modify and sometimes too bureaucratically inconvenient to tear down, quite a few could still be found, rotting, across the globe. One of these facilities was located in the middle of nowhere, quite literally. Surrounded by dense woods, the paved roads having long since gotten overgrown, the fenced factory had been constructed north of a population center in the hopes of sparking some more commerce and create more jobs. Needless to say, the fate of the company hadn't been a good one, and the place was now little more than a decaying ruin. Ever quiet, it was unusual to say the least, when the sounds of battle began to emanate from its inner halls. These sounds only grew louder and more violent as explosives and heavy energy weapons were brought into the fray.

With it being the dead of night and all power having been cut off from the place, darkness reigned in the large halls filled with heavy machinery and conveyor belts that used to ferry half constructed parts from one end of the structure to the other. Moonlight was the only form of illumination, of which there was plenty considering the massive windows that lined the high walls, and the utter lack of clouds above. The damage caused by the fight soon spread from the small office section above the factory floor to the conveyor belts below as a grey-framed Reploid was punched through a set of windows. Unable to break his fall, the humanoid robot crashed into several machines on his way down, adding more dents and scratches to an already damaged and worn exterior. With a silenced huff, he hit the floor and managed to compose himself quickly enough to get up on his feet and start running for the nearest exit; a large, open gate previously used to load trucks.

The Reploid had a rather standard frame, but his right hand had retracted to form a modified buster able to fire crackling bolts of electricity. Other adaptations could be spotted by the keen observer, none of them legal. One of his eyes sported a detachable upgrade that aided in target acquisition and other functions, while his legs featured high-powered dash boots that would propel him to speeds beyond what is the norm. With a grey and purple frame, bulky, sharp and cornered armor, and detailing in the form of self-applied tattoos and symbols, it was clear he was affiliated with several unsavory groups of criminals. He was a Maverick, that was clear as day.

Up above, his opponent, the one that had knocked him through the window, placed a single boot onto the low windowsill and hoisted himself up onto the frame. Green, purple and flashes of gold marked an elaborate and sturdy set of armor, with its most notable feature being a full helmet that hid the Reploid's face. The helmet featured a T-shaped visor, with a single, red eye flaring up, the left remaining dormant. Armed to teeth, though most weapons were hidden, the Reploid's shoulder cannon hummed happily as it retained its active and charged state, and a soft chuckle escaped the voice box that had been chosen for him upon creation. Wanted by society as one of the greatest criminals and dangers on the planet, hated by many, admired by none, he was a renegade that had once been a Maverick Hunter himself. His name was Vile, and he had yet to be apprehended successfully.

"Running away, already? What's the matter? You were all talk before!" He shouted, glee nearly evident in his mocking tone of voice. A flash of light briefly emanated from his boots as he propelled himself into the air and took flight, quickly catching up to the criminal he was hunting.

"Get away from me, you bastard!" Vile's prey's voice was deep and gritty, one that fitted his image. The Reploid knew he had little chance of getting away on foot, not unless he laid down some suppressive fire. While continuing his frantic run, he aimed his buster arm back and up at the approaching war machine. Barely taking the time to aim, he fired a single bolt of lightning, which connected with Vile's waist.

The renegade wasn't impressed, though it did destabilize his flight to the point where he quickly headed for the ground, landing in a barrel-roll before using the momentum to keep up a decent running speed. His target took another shot, this time barely scraping Vile's shoulder, while the aggressive ex-hunter quickly returned fire with a soft blue plasma sphere from his shoulder cannon. The blast connected in a damaging flare, the impact knocking the criminal into a stack of unused parts and over a waist-high conveyor belt. Before he could even get up, he found himself pinned to the belt with his back, an iron grip holding his neck while a sturdy boot almost crushed his buster against the rubber.

"You were a lot of trouble to track down and put up more of a fight than your associates said you would. I guess all around I had more fun than I thought. But it has to end sometime," Vile explained, all the while charging up a more powerful blast from his cannon.

Fear filled the Reploid's red eyes as he desperately looked around for anything he could use effectively with his left hand. His gaze caught sight of a few tools, among which a wrench, lying idly within reach. Struggling to keep his neck from being crushed by Vile, his fingers managed to wrap around one of the wrenches, and in a fluid motion, he wacked the renegade across the face, freeing him as Vile stumbled to the side.

"You're not going to get me like you did my friend, you freak!" He exclaimed as he rolled backwards off of the belt and used his dash boots to take off through the gate and out into the open courtyard of the old facility.

Vile wasn't happy with the disorienting hit to the head, but he recovered quickly enough to spot where his target was going. "Bastard's craftier than he looks," Vile commented as he vaulted over the belts and set to pursuing the maverick. By now, he had started using his upgraded dash boots, giving him an edge of speed over Vile, but the utter lack of cover meant he wasn't going to get very far. Once he cleared the gate of the facility, Vile dropped down to one knee and grabbed hold of his shoulder cannon to aim it manually, and carefully. "Surprise, I have a new toy!" Vile exclaimed as he finished charging the cannon and released a narrow, persistent beam of energy that raced towards the fleeing enemy. Nearly effortlessly, it cut cleanly through any armor that hadn't been torn away by the fight already, adding a perfectly spherical hole where the Reploid's chest used to be.

Slowly, the Maverick stopped his escape, stumbling as the damage began overwhelming his systems. Warning signs began to pop up behind his eyes and without the chance to utter another word, he collapsed.

Vile uttered a slight sigh at his victory, though he would've grinned visibly if he could at the surprising efficiency of the latest tweak Nana had made to his cannon. Confident steps ferried the green framed Reploid over to the mechanical corpse halfway across the courtyard from him. A simple tap of his boot was enough to clarify that his target wasn't going to get up and go anywhere, anytime soon. His systems had flat-lined and Vile could add another fatality to the list. A cream and grey hand rose up to cup the right side of his helmet while his other hand found a comfortable spot on his side to rest on. "I'm sure you saw that, already, but target's down. Guess that means we shot our way through all five of them."

The answer came in the form of a young, female Reploid's voice. Veteran of the Giga City and Asura Incidents, she served as Vile's operator and the only one able to more or less keep him from going down the deep end entirely. Her name was Nana and, as always, she was none too pleased with how Vile had decided to handle the mission given the information she had supplied him with. "Taking people in alive is never an option for you, is it?"

Vile scoffed at being lectured for the hundredth time. "He resisted. I've taken people in alive before... after roughing them up a bit. Besides, we don't have some book of rules to stick to, we do what we want, when we want," Vile replied, clearly loving the fact that he could speak those words when defining his current occupation.

"That may be so, but to me, that just means we have to keep ourselves in check. We have to make sure we don't end up like the people we hunt. I know a lot of the Reploids we have to hunt down are unlikely to be salvageable, but why do you think you can meet out permanent justice all the time?" She argued, though her work had not been stopped despite the discussion. Behind her monitor, hundreds of lines of information were being scrolled through and her fingers never stopped typing in commands. Before long, she had found a suitable transfer pad that had enough energy left to bring Vile back to their base of operations. Having only a pad that can send and received to others, not to the middle of nowhere, they were always limited in their range of movement. A lot of the time, Vile had to find some form of transportation for the rest of the way. It was luxury to find a pad that could be securely hacked so close by.

"You take the fun out of everything," Vile concluded as he crouched by the corpse and removed one of the insignias from the frame to serve as proof of their success. The explosions and antics that had gone on inside and around the facility wouldn't stay unnoticed for long, so they didn't have forever to get him out of there.

"Alright, I have a pad ready and waiting, it's in a small shack on the north end of the courtyard, near a line of broken fencing," Nana informed him as she could finally sit back and relax a bit. While she was never out in the field with Vile, her work was just as stressful, if not worse. At least Vile enjoyed blowing things up and feeling the sting of a punch across his jaw. Nana needed to constantly keep an eye on his surroundings, opponents, possible third parties and a whole array of logistical variables that, if left unchecked, could easily ruin an entire operation and end up with getting them both found and caught. Covering their tracks was horribly complicated and very few were talented enough to manage like Nana did. "Better hurry, the authorities are already on their way and since you're still the number one suspect and scapegoat for what happened with Typhus, they're going to have some questions for you."

"Still can't believe those bastards pinned it all on me," Vile commented as he, quite arrogantly, proceeded to walk briskly towards the shack. "I decide to do something that benefits other people and they don't hesitate to point all fingers to me."

"I don't blame them, Vile. Just because you helped defeat Typhus and stop Asura, doesn't mean your slate is clean. Things don't work that way. And, considering our vigilante and mercenary ways are far from legal, you're not doing a good job proving them wrong," Nana answered, even though she realized, more than anyone else, Vile wasn't out to clear his name or make amends. It was difficult for someone as kindhearted as Nana to function around a callous Reploid like Vile. He didn't care who got in his way and it was only through her efforts that he hadn't descended into a rampage yet. Of course, that didn't mean Vile was going to stand for being blamed for atrocities he didn't actually commit. He much preferred to be hated for what he was responsible for.

Vile's hand gripped the handle of the shack's door, but he quickly found that it wouldn't budge. After a rather violent motion, he managed to rip it from its hinges and force it open. Rust had done most of the work for him, so it was hardly a feat of amazing physical prowess. "I simply find it amusing that every day I see more news reports that prove how corrupt it all is. Politics has infested every level of not just the Maverick Hunters, but government itself, with power-hungry, paranoid and frightened electorals. Did you see the report that Signas stepped down?" This brought forth a cold chuckle from the man as he stepped onto the high-tech transfer pad inside the metal shack.

"I did. You might think it's funny, but I can't help but feel like the world is slipping into a very dark and dangerous mood. The atmosphere everywhere feels so tense. I get watched wherever I go even though no one knows who I am or what I do. I see Reploids preaching hatred for humans and vice versa like never before, and Mavericks have only become more prevalent. This downhill slope isn't good for anyone, Vile, not even for you," she countered as she punched in the coordinates for Vile's extraction. "With every sensible person that is removed from a position of power and replaced with a yes-man that will just do what is necessary to keep everyone happy, we get one step closer to what I'm afraid of the most. War."

In a flash of light, Vile's body dematerialized and vanished from the facility, only to be transferred to a very different setting in a mere instant. Once his form had been completely recomposed, he released a slight sigh and stepped down from the pad. "You really think this'll end up in civil war, or worse?" Vile scoffed again. "People are going to play dumb and accept it. They're going to stop pointing fingers the moment there's another face doing the talking for an organization like the Maverick Hunters. And once they've been moved into the Repliforce, they'll have all these rules they need to stick to. Our expertise is going to be at an all-time high demand," Vile switched off their communication link as he finished his sentence, and stepped through the sliding door out of the small transfer room and into the nerve center of their hideout.

For three months now, Nana and Vile had been operating from the relative safety of their new hideout. The apartment they had used during the Asura Incident had been compromised, but Giga City remained the perfect hub from which to spread out on all manner of missions. Not only was it mainly run by corporations, making it relative neutral ground, Nana also knew it like the back of her hand. If there was any place she knew where to disappear, it was the modular, floating city out on the ocean. They had moved most of their gear over to a very small warehouse that was still filled with crates of useless, mostly broken equipment and abandoned wares. However, below the warehouse had been two floors of three rooms each that had previously been used to house the administration of the company that had owned it. With some modifications and enough patience to clean it up, the unlikely duo had turned it into a formidable base of operations.

Nana had been able to procure the building that had fallen into disuse and disrepair for a bargain price. She subsequently used her administrative skills to have it vanish from the records. As far as Giga City was concerned, the building located on the northern end of its central hub, no longer existed. They were safe in the knowledge that any inquiries would smash into a wall of bureaucratic red tape and get lost in a lack of desire on the part of Giga City officials to properly investigate the oddity. The transfer room of the facility was located on the lowest floor in a small room off the side of what could be considered Nana's command center. It contained little more than the transfer pad, some heavy-duty wiring for connecting the machinery to a power source, and a control panel in case Nana needed to set the pad's functionalities manually.

As Vile passed through the sliding door, he flexed his shoulders and walked past the comfortable, rotating armchair Nana inhabited daily, for hours on end. The command center wasn't much to look at either. Nana's best efforts had gotten it relatively clean and fixed up, though there was little more in there than the equipment she needed to do her job. More wiring led to the securely sealed generator room across the hall from the transfer room, something that has caused quite a lot of tripping before they had gotten the bright idea to tape the wires to the bottom of the walls. In front of Nana hung a collection of large monitors, each of which presented her with a variety of information. Currently, her attention was fixed on the centermost, largest screen.

From that command center, Nana had full access to all the contacts and help they had been able to gather over the months since they entered this business together. After she had returned to Giga City and finished undoing the damage done by Redips and Epsilon, she had found herself torn between two possibilities. Either she would accept Signas' offer and join the Maverick Hunters as an operator, or she would do something no one expected. She chose the latter, and managed to get in touch with Vile. The renegade had naturally been surprised to hear from her, and of the fact that she had even found him. Nana didn't know why the green-framed Reploid had decided to accept her suggestion to work together again; she wasn't even sure why she wanted to go to such lengths to be close to an incorrigible war machine. Perhaps it were those rare few glimpses of a better person that she had managed to see during their previous interaction? He had decided to attack and destroy Asura, despite all the risks to his own life. His pride was boundless, but did it truly extend that far when only other peoples' lives were at stake?

Regardless, their partnership proved mutually beneficial. Nana was able to exercise her talents with full freedom, while Vile was able to satiate his lust for battle. However, he had quickly rediscovered that Nana was no pushover and, in her own brand of stubbornness, she had managed to keep the renegade on the thin line between legal and illegal. Sure, they were vigilantes, but she made sure that any targets Vile was unleashed upon were dangerous criminals and sometimes even mavericks beyond any hope of repair. Naturally, there had been jobs that she sorely regretted, that she even lost sleep over. It was difficult to see Vile act like a judge and executioner, especially when their employers were also often far from savory. But somehow, she succeeded in convincing herself, every time, that it was for a greater good. It kept Vile from a rampage, from reverting to the way he was before he learned about his past. He was every bit as dangerous and violent, but at least it was being directed somewhere moderately constructive. Without the rules of the Maverick Hunters, and with Nana being smart enough to know what arenas to pick for the man, collateral damage was low and civilian casualties were, for now, non-existent.

Over those same months, Nana had crafted a small web of contacts that could act like her eyes and ears. Despite Vile's impatience and borderline greed, she had managed to filter out all the truly criminal elements and only dabbled with people she found to be either fully honest, or at least inhabited the same grey area they did. The moment she suspected they were treading too close to organizations they should not have any interaction with, she'd change gears in the best way she could. To her continuing surprise, Vile had been relatively easygoing with all of this. His philosophy was likely simple in this regard. As long as he was getting his pay to do what he loved, then he'd dabble in moderation just for the sake of humoring her. That still didn't make it easy living with him. While not as bad as it had been when his mind was unstable due to the visions incurred by what his creator was trying to pass onto him, his temper was still a bad one. And whenever he didn't get his way, she'd have to pull every lecture and speech she could come up with to get him to listen to reason. Over time, she'd already learned a few tricks and figured out what made the Reploid tick. She prided herself in her understanding of his rather shattered psyche. One thing always made her feel she was on the right path, however. Not once had he broken his word to her, and not once had he even shown any inclination to strike her. For a Reploid like Vile for whom violence is like a game, that was a big thing.

Nana's fingers tapped away at the keys of one of the control panels she was sitting at as she closed any open connections between their base and the abandoned facility Vile had returned from. Once she had finished, she tapped the keyboard with the palms of her hands and rose up from the chair with a heavy sigh. "I'd rather our services weren't in high demand, Vile," the creamy white framed Reploid explained as she proceeded to follow Vile up a spiral staircase that led to another set of rooms. A flick of a single finger across a light switch added some much needed illumination to the hall they emerged in. That room served mostly as a place where they could relax. Lockers, supply cabinets, a large, simple, metallic table, complete with a dozen chairs, and even a training dummy for Vile to act his aggression out on filled the room. It didn't have too much of a homely feel, mostly since Nana didn't have the funds, nor Vile's agreement, to fix it up with some decorations. What little decorations there were came in the form of a few synthetic plants and some of the more colorful books Nana owned that lined a bookshelf or two.

"We're already short on all sorts of supplies and you want business to be even slower?" Vile questioned as he crossed the hall and opened a door into their repair bay. The quarters was located off the side and was, unfortunately, a bit small for everything they needed to cram into it. It contained a single recharge pod pushed uncomfortably next to an examination table that could be used for repairs, as well as the tweaking of any weapons Vile managed to break. The rest of the room was filled to the brim with shelving and secure lockers that contained anything from tools to weapons, and anything in between.

Nana followed her partner, but stopped in the door opening to place a single white-gloved hand on her side and lean against the frame. Another sight passed her lips as she let her blue eyes gaze down to the floor. Her free hand slipped through her pink hair, brushing aside that single white bang that gave her her striking appearance. "I know we need the money, but I'd still rather not spend my days hunting down Reploids I'd never want to meet in a dark alley," she admitted.

Vile stopped in front of the steel table in the corner of the room and reached for a small box on the nearby shelves. Upon opening it, he began to take out a few new cartridges containing the small caliber rounds the Vulcan guns mounted in his fingertips fired. He needed to replace his stock, after all. "So you really think this is going to end in civil war? Nothing ever changes on this mudball, Nana. Sigma tried seven times, and the likes of Redips, Lumine and Typhus failed just as badly. All they accomplished half the time was making things worse. But in the end, the ecology is back on an upswing," Vile rebutted before closing the box and returning it to its proper place.

"I suppose you have a point," Nana admitted before turning around and taking a seat by the table in the common room. "While tensions between Reploids and humans are rising, they'll stagnate just like the fear of the Eurasia Colony drop's effects on the planet. I suppose it's hard not to get swept up by all the paranoia and prejudice," the experienced operator placed the palms of her hands on the tabletop and planted her chin on top of them.

"All I know is that everyone whose loyalty is under even the smallest of scrutiny is being replaced. That means those new guys'll be out to score some good victories and validate their new post," Vile explained as he closed the door into the repair bay before taking a seat at the head of the table. His green and gold colored boots were quickly lifted off the ground and planted firmly onto the top of the table while he reached for the remote that operated a small television screen that hung from the wall opposite its broadside. A click of a single button turned the device on, adding some much needed ambient noise to the otherwise silent, underground rooms.

"And that victory is you," Nana finished his train of thought as she had come to the same conclusion as well. The manhunt for you had diminished a bit with recent troubles, but it looks like it's in full swing again."

Vile scoffed. "Whatever they're gonna try, it'll fail. If the likes of Signas couldn't catch me, these sissy yes-men sure as hell aren't. If I find any of th-" The rest of Vile's threats were quickly cut off by Nana as she pointed to a news broadcast on the television.

The female newsreader seemed distraught to have to read a sudden addition to the planned stories for the evening broadcast. "This is just in. Police officers have surrounded an apartment building in Southwest City. According to early reports, a group of Reploids have broken into the basement floors of the complex and have sealed off all entrances into the garage. Officials have yet to comment, but we believe they pose a terroristic threat and are setting explosives in an attempt to broker a deal or bring a point across. No statements have come from the terrorists, but it is very likely at this point that they are affiliated with the group that has claimed several bombings over the course of the last two months: Black Cell." Nana's gaze went from the screen to Vile, as the ex-Hunter rose up from his seat.

"Wait, you're not thinking of going down there, are you?" She questioned as the renegade began to make his way back down into the command center. To keep up with his steady pace, she needed to run after him.

"You're always saying we need to work on our image. We're viewed so poorly that even our clients think we're bad business. And those guys don't usually pay any heed to what officials claim," Vile explained as he placed one hand firmly on the back of her chair to turn it her direction. "Well, if I bust these terrorists up, they'll have firsthand footage of me kicking ass."

"Maybe, or the media will twist the facts and make it look like you're one of them. Not to mention the fact that Maverick Hunters will likely be called on the scene and you might not make it back out of there. I mean, we don't even have a plan," Nana pleaded, once more trying to talk sense into a man whose impulsiveness knew no bounds.

"Either you help me, or I go it alone. You know it makes little difference to me. Now set the coordinates to the nearest transfer pad you can find me," Vile ordered before walking onto their own pad.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Nana proceeded to home in on a location in Southwest City. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," she muttered, as she had a bad feeling they were going to get involved in something far, far bigger than them.


End file.
